Key operated actuator mechanism



May 30, 1950 H. GROSS ETAL 2,509,493

KKEY OPERATED ACTUATOR MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS Filed on. 14, 1947 5- Shets-Sheet 1 May 30, 1950 H. GROSS ErAL 2,509,493

KEY OPERATED ACTUATOR MECHANISM F OR CASH REGISTERS Filed Oct; '14, 1947 .5 Sheets- Sheet 2 INVENTORS ATTORNEY May '30, 1950 H. GROSS iTAL 2,509,493

- KEY OPERATED AcmA'roR MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS Filed Oct. 14, 194:! s Sheets-$hut3 INVENTORQ Henry 670.95

BY s A,

ATTORNEY May 30, 1950' H. GROSS AL 2,509,493

KEY OPERATED ACTUATOR MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS I Filed Oct. 1 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS' Henry Gross Jaw/4 6 6055- I %9 v 3- I ATTORNEW y 1950 v H. GROSS EIAL 2,509,493

KEY OPERATED ACTUATOR MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS Filed Oct. 14, 1947 5 Shee'ts-Sheec 5 INVENTORS Ian/"y Gross jflMdEA Gems J JU Patented May 30, 1950 KEY OPERATED ACTUATOR MECHANISM FOR "CASH REGISTERS Henry Gross and Samuel Gross, East Finchley,

London, England Application October 14, 1947, Serial No. 779,776 In Great Britain October 25, 1946 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to cash registers .and like machines, of the kind having a series of actuating keys to be depressed by the operator and hereinafter called operating keys which are operatively associated with toothed elements by means of cams (which we call key lever cams) whereby the toothed elements have differential movements according to the value represented by the keys, which movements are impartedto toothed wheels that form the driven elements of a pivotally mounted adding unit, and having a pivotally mounted cam element operatively associated with the keys and adapted to rock the adding unit to bring the toothed wheels into engagement with the toothed elements, and having means (which we call the holding means) which holds the unit in such position during actuation of the toothed elements. The keys may directly operate the toothed elements or may constitute trip devices to release means for actuating the toothed elements as described in our U. S. patent application Serial No. 717,912.

The main objects of the invention are to simplify construction and to render various parts f the machine more durable and more effective in operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the kind referred to wherein each of the key lever cams has a cam surface which effects the required movement of the toothed element followed by another surface which holds the toothed elements stationary towards the end of the depression of the key and the holding means consists of an arcuate surface which is long enough to hold the parts in toothed engagement until the toothed elements are held stationary, and thereafter permits rocking of the unit to disengage the toothed wheels from the toothed elements before the keys are brought to rest on their downward movements.

A further object of this invention is to provide at the front end of an arcuate cam ri-b, -a cam surface which is contiguous with a cam surface on a spring pressed pawl.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, it will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a right hand side elevation of certain parts of a cash register made in accordance with the invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are left hand side elevations of certain parts shown in Figure 1 but on a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a view of the adding aunit looking in the direction of the arrow 4 in Figure 1:

Figure 5 is a right hand side elevation of the unit shown in Figure 4;

Figures 6 and '7 are sectional views on the line 6-6 011 Figure 4 showing different positions of the parts;

Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 on Figure 4; and

Figures 9 and 10 show details to be described.

The cash register has a frame 1!! (Figure 1) which carries shafts H, !2, [3, It and I5, disposed transversely of the machine.

Mounted on the shaft H are a series of key levers 2! the front ends of which carry the keys 2| which are marked with the usual symbols of pounds. shillings pence, and half-pence, orother symbols for different currencies. The keys are depressed by the operator as required and are returned to the inoperative positions by springs 22. Each lever carries an upstanding cam plate 24 which constitutes the key lever cam and has an upper cam surface 25 shaped according to the digital value of the key which surface ends in an arcuate slot .26 which is on the circumference of a circle having its centre on the axis of the shaft l l. The slots 25 in the respective cams are at difi'erent radial distances from said axis, and this is shown by way of example in Figure 9 which shows two levers 223 with their cams and slots. The cam surfaces 25 and slots 26 co-operate with four bars 28 of which only one is shown in Figure l. The bars are carried by levers '29, 3!], mounted to rock on the shafts l3, M. Attached to the levers respectively are the four toothed elements 3| (for pounds, shillings, pence, and farthings) two of which are shown in Figure 1. These toothed elements can be engaged by the toothed wheels 3 of the adding unit which is shown genorally at 35 in Figure I mounted on the shaft l5. As the keys 2| are depressed the cam surfaces move the bars .23 to rock the toothed elements the appropriate amount and before the levers .20 reach the limit of their operative movements the bars 28 are engaged in the slots .2t so that continued movement of the levers can impart no further movement to the toothed sectors and toothed wheels.

For rocking the adding unit about the shaft l5 to bring the wheels 34 into and out of engagement with the toothed elements iii, the adding unit is provided with a projection 38 (Figures 1,, 2, 4 and 5) engageable by cam surfaces on a cam element or sector plate as fixed on the shaft l2 which is rocked on depression of a key by means of arms 48 that are fixed to the shaft 12 and are connected by a transverse .bar 4| which is engageable by all of the key levers 20. On depression of a ke 2! the lever 20 rocks about its pivot I I and its rear end moves up thereby engaging and raising the bar 4| and rocking the arms 40 about the axis of the shaft l2. This rocks the shaft I2 and consequently also rocks the plate 39.

The sector 39 is provided with an arcuate cam rib 42 (Figure 2) the upper and lower surfaces of which are formed on the circumferences of circles having their centers coincident with the axis Of the shaft l2. This rib has a continuation 43 the underside of which rests on the projection 38 in the rest position. The front end surface of the rib 42 constitutes a cam surface 45. A pawl 46 pulled in one direction by a spring 48 has a cam surface 41 contiguous with the cam surface 45. As the sector commences its movement the cam surfaces 41, 45 move the projection 38 up thereby tilting the adding unit from the position shown in Figure 6 to the position shown in Figure 7 in which the toothed wheels 34 mesh with the toothed sector elements 3|. During nearly all of the remainder of the forwardly rocking movement of the cam sector 39 the upper surface of the rib (which is the holding means) engages the projection whereby the unit is maintained in the adding position and during this time the toothed sectors impart motion to the toothed wheels 34. At the end of the forwardly rocking movement of the cam sector the rib moves beyond the projection whereupon the unit is returned by a spring to its inoperative position. As the key returns to its up position the underneath of the rib rides over the projection thereby preventing any possible movement of the unit into its adding position. At the end of this movement the rib runs off the projection and the projection pushes the pawl 46 down until the pawl also runs off the projection whereupon the pawl is moved to its contiguous position by its spring 48 thereby preventing the rib from engaging over the projection at the commencement of the next operation. Thus during the last part of the movement of the keys 2| the arcuate rib rides off the projection 38 and leaves the adding unit free to be pulled out of engage ment with the toothed sectors by its spring whereby the toothed wheels are brought out of mesh with the toothed elements before the key levers are returned to their rest position. Any jarring which may arise by bringing the levers to rest cannot therefore be transmitted to the toothed elements and adding unit.

The adding unit has a main spindle 52 (Figures 4 to 8) which carries indicator wheels 53 on the peripheries of which appropriate markings are provided, that is to say one wheel is marked for the /2 d., the next wheel is marked for the pence, the third wheel is marked with shillings up to 9, the fourth wheel indicates l0/-, and the fifth, sixth and seventh wheels are for the units, tens, and hundreds of pounds. Each of the first four wheels is attached to a positioning and transfer ratchet wheel 54 and to a toothed wheel 34.

For effecting transfer of /2 d. totals to the penny wheel and so forth, there are provided three transfer levers 56 each of which carries a transfer pawl 51 and a trip pawl 58. These levers are mounted on a common pivot 60 and the trip pawls normally'engage a common abutment bar 6| in such a manner (as shown in Figure '7) as to hold the transfer levers in such positions that when the levers are operated the transfer pawls will not have suflicient stroke to effect a transfer movement by engagement with the appropriate transfer ratchet wheels. Transfer pins 62 on the indicator Wheels trip the pawls when transfer is required whereupon these pawls move below the abutment bar (as shown in Figure 6) and a spring 64, pulls the transfer lever so as to bring the transfer pawl behind the next tooth of the appropriate ratchet wheel.

The transfer levers 56 carry rolls 5'! adapted to be actuated by three cam projections 69 formed respectively on three cam plates 68 carried by the shaft I2. These cams come into operation as the key levers move back into their normal positions and whilst the adding unit is in its inoperative position. These transfer cams are staggered so as to operate the transfer levers in succession and the cams, after effecting the transfer movement, move past the abutments 59, whereupon the transfer levers are brought by the springs 64 back to the normal positions with the trip pawl tails abutting the rear face of the abutment bar 6|.

The usual star wheels it] are provided that effect transfer from the ten shilling wheel to the units pounds, units pounds to tends and tens to hundreds.

A shaft H carrying the star wheels is mounted on a carriage 13 (Figure 8) that is pivoted at 74 to the adding unit and held normally in engaging position by a spring 15. The carriage carries a leaf spring 15 that has a rib H which engages the starwheels to position them in alignment. The shaft H has an extension on one end that engages normally in a recess 82 of a cam disc 80 fixed to the spindle 52. A knurled disc 8! is also fixed to the spindle 52 and by rotating this disc the cam plate pushes the shaft H to disengage the star wheels. Further rotation of the disc enables pawls carried by the toothed wheels 34 to engage in a groove :32 in the shaft 52 whereby the wheels are rotated to zero position. One such pawl is shown in Figure l6 engaged in the groove 82. During this further rotation an annular peripheral surface on the disc 80 holds the star wheels disengaged. The pounds indicator wheels carry pins 83 (Figure 8) engaged by depressions in leaf springs 84 for zero positioning, or if desired these springs may engage the teeth of the indicator wheels.

At the completion of the zeroising the pins 62 trip the pawls 58 so that their tails would disengage from the rear face of the abutment bar BI and the levers 56 would therefore be moved by the spring 64 to such a position as to be operated by the cams 68 on the next actuation of a key, and thereby effect a transfer, if provision were not made to prevent this. For this purpose, the transfer cams $58 have arcuate abutment ledges 86 which act as stops which are contacted by the rolls 6! so that the trip pawls 53 are positioned with their tails spaced slightly rearwardly from the abutment bar 5|. In this position of the transfer levers the pawls 53 are free to be tripped by the pins 62 during zeroizing, whereafter they will be returned to their normal untripped positions by springs 58a and will reengage with the abutment bar 6| as illustrated in Figure '7 when the rolls 6'! are caused to disengage from the transfer cam stop ledges 86 upon the next actuation of a key.

A stop 81 is engaged by projections 88 on the transfer levers to limit their forward movements.

It will be observed that two of the toothed elements 3| are pivotally mounted on the shaft l3 which is disposed transversely of the "machine and the other two are mounted on the shaft M which is parallel of the shaft I3. The

5 toothed elements are made of such sizes that they can mesh with the four-toothed wheels 34 although the latter are of equal diameter and are mounted to rotate on a common axis.

It is quite an important feature having the advantage of simplicity of construction, that the toothed elements 3| pivot on two different axes and nevertheless actuate four coaxial toothed wheels 34 of equal diameter.

We claim:

1. In a cash register or like machine of the character described, a rockably mounted adding unit comprising a series of indicator wheels, toothed wheels on said indicator wheels, toothed elements for engaging the toothed Wheels for actuating said wheels, a series of pivoted actuating keys, key lever cams carried by said keys, said cams having cam surfaces cooperating with the toothed elements to effect movement of said elements during a portion of the movement of the keys and arcuate surfaces, the center of curvature of which coincides with key pivots to hold the toothed elements stationary during further movement of the keys, a cam element positioned to be rocked upon movement of said keys, a cam follower on said unit cooperating with said cam element for rocking said unit to move the toothed wheels into mesh with the toothed elements. the operating surface of said cam element being long enough to hold the toothed wheels in engagement-with said toothed elements until the toothed elementsare held stationary, and thereafter permit rocking of the unit to disengage the toothed wheels from the toothed elements before the keys are brought to rest on their downward movements.

2. A cash register or like machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cam element comprises an arcuate cam rib which has a front cam surface contiguous with a cam surface on a spring pressed pawl, these surfaces eifecting tilting of the unit into operative position during the first part of the movement of the cam element whereupon the top surface of the rib holds the unit in such position whilst the toothed elements impart movement tothe toothed wheels, whereafter the cam follower returns below the rib which then prevents movement-of the unit to the operative position and the pawl moves against its spring to permit return of the parts to the starting positions.

3. A cash register or like machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cam element comprises an arcuate cam rib which has a front cam surface contiguous with a cam surface on a spring pressed pawl, these surfaces effecting tilting of the unit into operative position during the first part of the movement of the cam element whereupon the top surface of the rib holds the unit in such position while the toothed elements impart movement to the toothed wheels, whereafter the cam follower returns below the rib which then prevents movement of the unit to the operative position and the pawl moves against its spring to permit return of the parts to the starting positions, and wherein the cam element rides off the cam follower before the levers are brought to rest* on their operative stroke.

1 HENRY GROSS.

SAMUEL GROSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,371,138 Bair Mar. 8, 1921 1,664,956 Von Pein Apr. 3, 1928 1,832,791 Rudin Nov. 17, 1931 2,236,640 Hanson Apr. 1, 1941 

